Stop and tail lamp



April 14, 1942. \s. M. DQVER` Re. 22,066

' STOP AND TAIL LAMP v original Filed oct. 15, 193e INVENTOR. SAMUEL M.Dau/ERl Ressued pr. 14, 1942 STOP AND` TAIL LAMP Samuel M. Dover,Chicago, Ill.

Original, No. 2,113,553, dated April 5, 1938, Serial No. 105,665,October 15, 1936. Application for reissue April 8, 1940, Serial No.328,556

(Cl. 17 EI-32.9)

8 Claims.

This invention relates to automobile stop and tail lamps.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide anautomobile stop and tail lamp or illuminating device which shall bevisible from all possible angles from which it may be approachedregardless of the horizontal or inclined position of the automobile;which will direct a beam of light a very great distance so as to bevisible to an approaching motorist a great distance away; and which willalso illuminate the automobile license plate or vadjacent part of theroadway. It is a further object of the present invention to provide sucha lamp wherein the entire glass part thereof constitutes a single piece.

It is astill further object of the present invention to provide a stopand tail lamp housing comprising one integral body of glass the mainportion of which is of one color, for instance red to transmit red lightindicative of danger, and another portion of which is of another colorof higher light transmitting characteristics, or of clear glass, forpermitting the passage of light therethrough for illuminating thelicense plate, or illuminating the roadway to facilitate backing of theautomobile.

In recent years, with the `advent of higher and higher automobilespeeds, it has become necessary to provide a tail lamp which shall bevisible at great distances. visibility, the lens of the lamp is providedwith a small portion, popularly known as a bulls eye, so constructedthat it concentrates the light which strikes it from the lamp bulb, andtransmits that light as a concentrated beam. For maximum effectivenessof this concentrating portion of the lens the lamp bulb must be at adenite location with respect thereto. On the other hand the bulb mustalso bear a definite location with respect to the portion of the lensthat is of clear glass for illuminating the license plate. It is anobject of the present invention to provide a stop and tail lamp of theabove character wherein the angular position of the bulb, the locationof the license illuminating portion of the lens, and the location of thelight concentrating portion thereof are correlated with respect to eachother to produce the desired results by the use of a single bulb.

The attainment of the above and further objects of the present inventionwill be apparent from the following specification taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

To increase the distance of In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view, in partial section, of a stop and tail lampconstructed in accordance with the present invention, and illustratinghow such lamp illuminates the license plates and adjacent portions ofthe roadway;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the stop and-tail lamp ofFigure 1, said View being taken along the line 2 2l of Figure 1; and

Figure 43 is a bottom View of the lamp of Figure 2.

The stop and tail lamp is indicated at I, and includes a back portion 2having means for mounting the lamp and having also an opening forreceiving a bulb socket. A bulb socket 3 is mounted in the socketopening, said socket being at an angle to the back2 for a purpose whichwill be set forth more fully as this description proceeds. The back 2 isprovided with lens holding means in the form of a forwardly extendinginturned rim 5 around the periphery thereof for receiving a holding ring3| against which the lens bears. It is also provided with a short lenscen tering piece 6 bent forwardly as indicated at 1, that is adapted toextend into a notch in a lens for centering the lens with respect to thebulb. A two -lament electric light bulb 9 is mounted in the socket 3.

The lens, or lamp housing, comprises a unitary body of glass I5 having ared signal part I6 which constitutes the front of the lamp and facesrearwardly of the automobile, andl a peripherally extending rim I1integral with the front IG, so that the rim and the front together forma casing 0r housing. An outwardly extending ange I8 is formed around theouter periphery of the rim I'I. This ange is provided at one place witha centering notch I9 into which the projection 1 extends for centeringthe lens in the correct angular position in the back 2. The lens properis formed of red glass which is the accepted color for indicatingdanger. A portion of the rim I'I is formed of clear glass, as indicatedat 22. The clear glass portion 22 is a unitary integral part of the rimI1 and the front I6, and is appreciably thinner than the adjacent redglass, as is apparent from Figures 1 and 2. The outside surface of theglass body or housing I5 constitutes a continuous smooth surface at themerger of the clearer glass 22 with the rest of the glass, the reductionin thickness being entirely on the inside surface of the lamp housing.To that effect the inside surface of the lamp housing is indentedtowards the outside surface at the juncture of the colored portion withthe clearer glass portion 22, as may be seen in Figure 2. The clearportion 22 and the bulb 9 are so located with respect to one another,and the portion 22 is of such a width, that the light from the electricbulb 9 has a suiiicient spread to illuminate the entire automobilelicense plate. It also illuminates an adjacent part of the roadway andthus facilitates backing up of the automobile, whether it be into aparking space or into a garage.

If desired, the inner surface of the front part IB of the lens may beprovided with projections 23 for reiecting light from the headlights ofa rearwardly approachingautomobile back to the driver of the approachingautomobile. These projections may be of any shape known in the art foraccomplishing this result, as` buttons, almost right angle cones ortetrahedrons, or the like. It is also provided with a lightconcentrating portion 25, known as a bulls eye, which is so constructedand located with respect to the stop light filament of the` bulb 9 thatit concentrates the incident light from the bulb into a beam of highlight intensity having only a slight spread and extending directlyrearwardly of the vehicle. The shape and location of the lightconcentrating portion 25 of the lens must be correlated with thelocation of the bulb in order to obtain the proper direction andintensity of the concentrated light beam. This result is obtained bylocating the portion 25 in a position where the light intensity of thebulb is high, and making the angular position of the bulb with respectto the portion 25 such that the light rays from the bulb will be at aproper angle to the portion 25 so that when they are bent by passagethrough the portion 25 they will emanate therefrom in the desireddirection, namely directly rearwardly of the automobile. Thus theangular position of the bulb is correlated with the position of theportion 25 and with the position of the portion 22. The clearer lightfrom the portion 22, for illuminating the license plate, is in adirection at a very substantial angle to the horizontal rays from thehead lights of an approaching automobile. Because of the arrangementillustrated, substantially none of the light from the portion 22 forilluminating the license plate extends rearwardly of the automobile andtherefore light from the portion 22 cannot produce any objectionableglare insofar as concerns a motorist following the automobile on whichthe improved lamp housing above described is located.

It is to be noted that clear glass portion 22 terminates below thenormal line of direct vision to the tail lamp when the same is Viewed bya pedestrian at the rear of the automobile. If the contour of theportion of the automobile on which the stop and tail lamp is mounted issuch that the lens I is at a substantial angle to that illustrated inFigure 2, then the clear glass portion 22 may be of greater or lesserwidth as may be necessary in order to avoid glare, the width beingk suchthat the portion of the clear glass closest to the center of the lens isstill outside of the direct line of vision to the lens when'the same isviewed by a pedestrian at the rear of the lens. The term ,glass is usedin this specification and claims in a broad sense to include anysuitable transparent medium.

The inside diameter' of the rim 5 of the back 2 is greater than theoutside diameter of the flange I8 of the lens, Thelens rests against aspring comprising a soft sponged rubber ring 30, which forces thev lensoutwardly. A split ring 3l of spring metal overlies the iiange I8 andextends into the rim 5 and serves to limit the outward movement of thelens. Thus the lens is held in place by the outward spring pressureexerted thereagainst by the soft rubber 3U that is compressed by thelens, the split ring 3l serving to resist the spring pressure of therubber 30, rather than to press the lens against the back 2. Thepressure of the rubber serves also to hold the ring 3l in place. In lieuof the soft rubber ring 3U I may use other resilient means for exertinga yielding outward pressure on the rim of the lens or casing I5. Anyspring means will serve this purpose, and a metal leaf spring may beused instead of the rubber strip 3U.

In compliance with the requirements of the patent statutes I have hereshown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention. It is,however, to be understood that the invention is not limited to theprecise construction here shown, the same being merely illustrative ofthe principles of the invention.

What I consider new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An automobile lamp casing comprising a unitary single layer cupshaped glass body having a signal portion at the part of the casingwhich faces rearwardly of the automobile, said rearwardly facing signalportion being of red glass throughout the entire thickness of the redrearwardly facing signal portion, the side wall of the cup being also ofred glass of the same color as that of the signal portion but having aportion of glass substantially clearer than said signal portion, saidclearer portion being'embraced by the red glass and locatedsubstantially entirely outside of the line of direct normal vision tosaid lamp as viewed by a pedestrian at the rear of the automobile, saidred signal portion and said `fclearer portion being one integral pieceof glass, 40'

and a light concentrating portion formed in said rearwardly facingsignal portion of the glass body.

2. An open ended automobile tail lamp housing `in the form of a singlelayer of glass of uniform 'color throughout its thickness, said housinghav- .ing a signal portion at the part of the housing which facesrearwardly of the automobile, said rearwardly facing signal portionmerging into a Y. peripherally extending signal portion of substantiallythe same color and of uniform width, said peripherally extending signalportion including a license plate illuminating part of glass ofdiiferent color than that of the glass of the rearwardly facing signalportion and constituting one braced by the rearwardly facing signalportion is maximum at the open end of the housing.

3. An automobile stop and tail lamp including a glasscasing having asignal portion at the part of the casing which faces rearwardly of theautomobile, said rearwardly facing signal portion merging into aperipherally extending signal portion of uniform width and of glass ofthe same color as the rest of the rearwardly facing por tion, saidperipherally extending signal portion including a license plateilluminating part oi glass of different and higher light transmittingcharacteristics than the glass of the rearwardly iacing signal portionand constituting one unitary .piece of glass with said signal portions,said clearer glass being embraced by the rest of the glass of theperipherally extending portion, an electric light bulb in said casing,said bulb being located to direct light through the license plateilluminating portion of the casing and also through the rearwardlyfacing signal portion, and said casing having a light concentrating partconstructed and located with respect to the bulb to direct aconcentrated beam oi light from the bulb directly rearwardly of theautomobile.

4. An automobile step and tail lamp comprising a glass casing having asignal portion at the part of the casing which faces rearwardly of theautomobile, said rearwardly facing signal part being of colored glassand having a license plate illuminating part of clearer glass than thesignalling part and integral with said signalling part, an electriclight bulb having a light lament in said casing, said bulb beingadjacent the clearer glass illuminating part to direct an appreciable.

amount of light through the clearer glass part oi the casing, thenlament of said bulb being so positioned that the most intense Zone oflight produced thereby is on the colored glass portion or the casing,and light concentrating means formed at the colored glass portion of thelens in the region of high light intensity, said light concentratingmeans and said bulb being so positioned relative to one another that thelight from the light filament of the bulb falling on the lightconcentrating means is bent to form a concentrated beam having only aslight spread and extending directly rearward of the automobile.

5. An automobile stop and tail lamp including a glass housing having asignal portion at the part of the housing which faces rearwardly of theautomobile and having a license plate illuminating part of glass ofdiiierent color than the color of the signalling portion andconstituting one unitary piece of glass with said signal portion,electric lighting means, said electric lighting means including anelectric light filament located to direct light through the licenseplate illuminating portion of the casing and also through the rearwardlyfacing signal portion, said electric lighting means including a secondelectric light filament adjacent the first filament, and said casinghaving a light concentrating part constructed and located with respectto the second lament to direct a concentrated beam of light from thesecond lament directly rearwardly of the automobile.

6. An automobile stop and tail lamp including a glass casing having asignal portion at the part of the casing which faces rearwardly of theautomobile, said rearwardly facing signal portion merging into aperipherally extending signal portion of glass of the same color as thatof the rearwardly facing portion, said peripherally eX- tending signalportion including a license plate illuminating part of glass ofdifferent light transmitting characteristics than the glass of therearwardly facing signal portion and constituting one unitary piece ofglass with said signal portions, electric lighting means, said electriclighting means including an electric light filament located to directlight through the license plate illuminating portion of the casing andalso through the rearwardly facing signal portion, said electriclighting means including a second electric light iilament, and saidcasing having a light concentrating part constructed and located withrespect to the second lament to direct a concentrated beam of light fromthe second filament directly rearwardly of the automobile.

7. An automobile stop and tail lamp including a glass casing having asignal portion at the part of the casing which faces rearwardly of theautomobile, said rearwardly faeing signal portion merging into aperipherally extending outwardly diverging signal portion oi glass ofthe same color as the rest of the rearwardly facing portion, saidperipherally extending signal portion being of substantially uniformwidth and including a license plate illuminating part of glass ofdifferent and higher light transmitting characteristics than the glassof the rearwardly facing signal portion and of the rest of theperipherally extending portion and constituting one unitary piece ofglass with said signal portions, said clearer glass being embraced bythe rest of the glass of the peripherally extending portion, an electriclight bulb having a stop light ilament and another lament in saidcasing, said bulb being located to direct light through the licenseplate illuminating portion of the casing and also through the rearwardlyfacing signal portion, and said casing having a light concentrating partconstructed and located with respect to the stop light filament of thebulb to direct a concentrated beam of light from the bulb directlyrearwardly of the automobile.

8. In an automobile stop and tail lamp; a lens constituting one integralcup shaped body including a signal part of colored glass facing rear,wardly of the automobile, a plurality of projections distributed overthe signalling area of thel lens 'and arranged to reect incident lightfrom the headlights of an approaching automobile as a slightly spreadingbeam substantially parallel to the incident light; light concentratingmeans formed on the signal part of said lens, and a license plateilluminating part integral with but thinner than the colored part andhaving a surface at a substantial angle with respect to the signal partand of a contrasting and clearer color than said signal part; electriclighting means including a stop light iilament and a tail light filamentin relatively close proximity to each other, said filaments being sopositioned that the most intense Zone of light produced thereby is onthe signal part; the light concentrating means being in the region ofhigh light intensity, said filaments also being adjacent to thecontrasting glass part' to direct an appreciable amount of lighttherethrough, said light concentrating means and both of said filamentsbeing so positioned that the light from both filaments falling on thelight concentrating means is bent to form a concentrated beam havingonly a slight spread and extending rearwardly of the automobile; saidcontrasting glass part being so located with respect to said lamentsthat light transmitted therethrough is in a direction at a substantialangle to the horizontal.

SAMUEL M. DOVER.

